Face mask for swimmers



Fb; 7, 1967 s. M. DAVISON 3,302,213

FACE MASK FOR SWIMMERS Filed April 16, 1964 INVENTOR 30 SAMUEL M. DAWSON ZKZAl Z; ZZZ4 7//777////////////////A BY I w M w 69,? #4,

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Patented Feb. 7, I967 3,302,213 FACE MASK FDR SWIMMERS Samuel M. Davison, Evanston, 111., assignor to Dacor Corporation, Skokie, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 16, 1964, .Ser. No. 360,320 4 Claims. (Cl. 2-9) My invention relates to face masks for underwater swimmers, more particularly to an improved face mask including improved means for facilitating the equalizing.

of the pressure in a divers ears.

'When scuba diving, swimmers each carry a supply of air, a pressure regulator and a face mask for covering the eyes and nose. The face mask usually consists of a generally tubular resilient member, one edge of which is contoured to sealably fit against the swimmers face and surrounds and covers the nose and eyes of the swimmer to provide a water and air-tight seal. A transparent viewing window extends across the opposite side of the resilient member, and strap means attached to the resilient member are used to secure the mask in position on the swimmers face. The air required by such an underwater swimmer is supplied through a hose leading from the air container to the regulator which may be located at the swimmers mouth. The regulator controls the flow and pressure of the air which is supplied through the hose connection to the swimmers mouth. The pressure at which air is supplied to the swimmer by the regulator is essentially the same as the ambient water pressure on the rest of his body. At times, however, the small passages in the swimmers ears become blocked and the pressure therein thus differs from the ambient pressure as the depth of the swimmer changes.

' Underwater swimmers are subject to varying pressures dependent upon the depth to which they dive. pressure is particularly significant as it concerns the divers ear drums. To prevent the increased pressure differential from puncturing or or otherwise damaging the ear drums, the diver must be able to re-establish equilibrium between the exterior pressure of the water effective on the ear drum and the air contained in the divers nasal and cranial passages.

Thus if a swimmer dives down to a selected depth, the pressure of the surrounding water may be momentarily higher than the pressure in the swimmers nasal and cranial passages. To re-establish equilibrium of the external and internal pressure on the ear drums, the swimmer must pop his cars. In order to pop his cars, a diver closes his nose and forcefully attempts to exhale the air in his lungs. The stream of air flowing in his nasal and cranial passages creates a higher internal pressure and thus reestablishes pressure equilibrium on the internal and external sides of the ear drum.

.Accordingly, it is a principal object of my invention to provide an improved face mask including means for enabling a swimmer to conveniently and easily pop his ears.

It is another object of my invention to provide an improved face mask having means for closing both nostrils of the swimmers nose to permit popping of the swimmers cars.

In the prior are some masks have been provided wherein the swimmer must use either his fingers or must manipulate the face mask in an abnormal position to close his nostrils in order to pop his ears. Since the swimmer may be engaged in other activities or his hands may be holding equipment, it is desirable for the swimmer to be able to plug or close his nostrils easily and with a minimum of effort.

It is accordingly yet another object of my invention to provide an improved face mask including means for en- This tioned in accordance with the invention.

a'bling a swimmer to close both nostrils merely by pushing the face mask toward the top of his head.

In the attainment of the foregoing objects, I provide a face mask including means for permitting a swimmer wearing the mask to close or stop both nostrils concurrently merely by moving the face mask a slight amount. More particularly, I provide a face mask for swimmers including a pair of formed pads positioned on the resilient member, which pads are positioned immediately below the wearers nostrils. To close the nostrils, the wearer merely pushes the face mask toward the top of his head whereby each pad contacts and closes a nostril whereby the swimmer can proceed to pop his ears.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like elements throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a face mask in accordance with the invention. FIG. 1 includes the outline of a swimmers face in order to more clearly show the relative position of the pads of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the pads of FIG. 1 to more clearly show the shape of the pads formed on the resilient member;

FIG. 3 is an end view taken along the lines 3-3 of the pads of FIG. 3 to show the height of the pads;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the pads according to the invention formed in an oval shape;

FIG. 5 shows a modification of the pads of FIG. 1 wherein both pads are formed on a same base; and

FIG. 6 is an end view of the pads of FIG. 5 taken along the lines 66 of FIG. 5 to show the height of the pads formed on the resilient member.

The embodiment of FIG. 1 shows a face mask 10 for underwater swimmers including pads formed and posi- As shown, the face mask 10 includes a resilient member 11, such as of rubber, having an edge seal 12 (see FIG. 2). The edge seal 12 of the member 11 conforms to the contours of the swimmers face, and is arranged to enclose the swimmers eyes and nose. A viewing window 15 of glass, or like material, is aflixed to the front portion of the face mask 10 and is clamped in place by a clamp 17 and the nut and bolt arrangement 18. The face mask 10 is afiixed to the swimmers head as by straps 13 which encircle the swimmers head.

A pair of pads 21 and 22 preferably formed of relatively soft non-porous rubber, or the like, are positioned in the [lower central part of the resilient member 11 and in a position immediately below the swimmers nostrils. The pads 21 and 22 are arranged on the member 11 such that each pad is positioned immediately beneath a respective nostril, for purposes of being in position to close the swimmers nostril, when desired, as will be explained more fully hereinafter.

The pads 21 and 22 are approximately an eighth of an inch in height and are formed, in plan view, as an eggshape or ovoid as is better seen in FIG. 2. The pads 21 and 22 may also be formed in other shapes such as in an oval, as shown in FIG. 4 to be described hereinafter. In the particular embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the dimensions of the ovoid pads are approximately three-quarter of an inch in the minor axis and approximately one and oneeighth inch in the major axis. The larger or base portion of the pads 21 and 22 is preferably positioned on the member 11 to be closer to the swimmers face. A spacing 19 from about one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch is formed between the pads 21 and 22 to provide an area where the center portion of the nose between the nostrils may rest. As better seen in FIG. 3, the pads 21 and 22, in the embodiment shown, are aproximately one-eighth inch in height. The pads 21 and 22 may be afiixed to the member 11 by any suitable means such as by glue 20'.

When in use, the face mask 10 is adjusted on the swimmers face such that the pads are approximately one" eighth to one-quarter of an inch below the swimmer: nostrils as shown in FIG. 1; in this position, the pads will not inhibit the flow of air from the nostrils. When the swimmer wants to pop his ear drums to equalize the pressure in his nasal and cranial passages with the ambient water pressure, as discussed hereinabove, the resilient member 11 of the face mask 10 is merely pushed upward (as oriented in FIG. 1), about a quarter of an inch such that the pads 21 and 22 close or seal the swimmers nostrils. 'Dhe swimmer can accomplish this conveniently and easily such as by pushing against the resilient member 11 or the mask 10 with one arm. Thus, even if the swimmer is holding any apparatus or if his hands are otherwise occupied it will not prevent the swimmer from being able to close his nostrils to pop his ears. When the pads 21 and 22 are in position closing the swimmers nostrils, the swimmer can proceed to attempt to exhale the air in his lungs through his nose to pop his ears and thus equalize the pressure in his nasal and cranial passages with the ambient water pressure. After the swimmer has completed the act of popping his ears, the resilient member 11 of the face mask 10 adjusts or returns downward to the position shown in FIG. 1, and the swimmer can continue his activity.

FIG. 4 shows a pair of pads 21A and 22A according to the invention and formed in an oval shape. In the embodiment of FIG. 4 the dimensions of the oval are approximately one and an eighth inch in the major axis and about three-quarters of an inch in the minor axis. A spacing of about one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch is formed between pads 21A and 22A, and the pads are about one-eighth of an inch in thickness. The positioning of the pads 21A and 22A on the face mask and the means of utilizing these pads is the same as that for pads 21 and 22.

FIGS. and 6 show another embodiment of the pads according to the invention. In this embodiment the two pads 23 and 24 may be of the same shape and size as are the pads shown in FIGS. 1-3. However, the pads 23 and 24 are formed on a single base 26; in effect, a thin strip 28 joins the two pads 23 and 24. "This permits the two pads 23 and 24 to be formed as one piece. As in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the same spacing 19* is provided to accommodate the central portion of the nose.

The construction shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 permits the two pads 23 and 24 to be more conveniently and easily positioned in the face mask 10. Merely by centering and positioning the one base piece 26 and gluing the base piece 26 on member 11, the pads 23 and 24 are correctly positioned in the face mask 11. The pads 23 and 24 of 4 FIGS. 4 and 5 are utilized in the same manner as pads 21 and 22 of FIGS. 1-3.

Although I have herein shown and described specific forms of apparatus embodying my invention, it will he understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of mind. Having thus described my invent-ion, what I claim is:

1. A face mask to be worn by underwater swimmers comprising, in combination, a resilient member formed to surround the wearers eyes and nose and having one continuous edge thereof conforming to the wearers face,

a viewing window positioned over an opposite continuous edge of said member, two individual, raised, resilient and im'perforate pads positioned on said member so as to be free of connection with each other and spaced apart at least one-eighth of an inch between each other, said pads being formed in the shape of el lipses having a minor axis of at least three-quarters of an inch and having a major axis of at least one and one-eighth inches, said pads being at least one-eighth of an inch thick, whereby said pads conform to a wearers nostrils to thereby permit closing of both nostrils concurrently.

2. A face mask as in claim 1 wherein said resilient member is formed of an elastomeric material. 1

3. A face mask as in claim 1 wherein said pads are mounted to said member by a flat base piece having one of its flat surfaces affixed to the lower central portion of said member in a position immediately below the swimmers nostrils and having said two individual pads atfixed to its other surface in spaced-apart relationship.

4. A face mask to be worn by underwater swimmers comprising, in combination, a resilient member formed to surround the wearers eyes and nose and having one continuous edge thereof conforming to the Wearers face, a viewing window positioned over an opposite continuous edge of said memlber, two individual, raised, resilient and imperforate pads positioned on said member in spaced relation to one another, said pads being free of connection with each other and being spaced at least one-eighth of an inch apart, said pads being positioned in the lower central portion of said member to 'be in a position immediately 'below the wearers nostrils, said pads each being ovoid. in plain view and dimensioned to be at least one and a quarter inches in the major axis and at least three quarters of an inch in the minor axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,333,336 11/1943 Powell 2--14.2 2,928,097 3/1960 Newfeld 2l4.1 3,027,562 4/ 196 2 Widenor 2l4.20 3,186,005 6/1965 Gentile 2-9 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. J. R. BOLER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FACE MASK TO BE WORN BY UNDERWATER SWIMMERS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A RESILIENT MEMBER FORMED TO SURROUND THE WEARER''S EYES AND NOSE AND HAVING ONE CONTINUOUS EDGE THEREOF CONFORMING TO THE WEARER''S FACE, A VIEWING WINDOW POSITIONED OVER AN OPPOSITE CONTINUOUS EDGE OF SAID MEMBER, TWO INDIVIDUAL, RAISED, RESILIENT AND IMPERFORATE PADS POSITIONED ON SAID MEMBER SO AS TO BE FREE OF CONNECTION WITH EACH OTHER AND SPACED APART AT LEAST ONE-EIGHT OF AN INCH BETWEEN EACH OTHER, SAID PADS BEING FORMED IN THE SHAPE OF ELLIPSES HAVING A MINOR AXIS OF AT LEAST THREE-QUARTERS OF AN INCH AND HAVING A MAJOR AXIS OF AT LEAST ONE AND ONE-EIGHTH INCHES, SAID PADS BEING AT LEAST ONE-EIGHTH OF AN INCH THICK, WHEREBY SAID PADS CONFORM TO A WEARER''S NOSTRILS TO THEREBY PERMIT CLOSING OF BOTH NOSTRILS CONCURRENTLY. 